Around the world, villages have been built in some unique places, such as on top of steep cliffs, inside caves or in the middle of a river. Many of the town founders chose these locations because they could use the shape of landscape to their advantage to create their new settlements. For example, it is believed that the Spanish cave-like houses of Setenil de las Bodegas were built under a rocky overhang because it was easy to convert the natural caves into houses by simply adding an external wall. 

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In Cappadocia, there are numerous sedimentary rock formations that have been eroded and shaped by rain and wind. Starting in the fourth century A.D., local people began to carve into these rocks to create a series of cave-like houses, churches and monasteries. Eventually, the villagers created an entire underground network of tunnels between the caves, which were later used as a refuge for early Christians from Roman Empire persecution and Arab invasions, according to National Geographic.

Another impressive cave city is the medieval town of Eski Kermen, founded in the sixth century. Not only did these caves offer their inhabitants shelter from the elements, but because they were located in mountainous terrain, the cave city was incredibly difficult to reach.  As a result, it was one of the last places to fall to the Mongol invasion, reports Amusing Planet.

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Rivers and lakes can also provide settlers some protection from invaders, which is why the Uros people created floating islands, called “totora,” made up of bundles of reed. Each island is made up of several reed houses and the biggest island also features a watchtower. The floating islands were first built around the 13th century to escape Inca attacks, according to The BBC, because the island villages could be moved around on the water like a raft to escape danger.

In some places, human inhabitants have had to adapt to the elements. In Australia, the residents of Coober Pedy have escaped the extreme heat of the region by moving the entire town underground, while in the rainiest place on earth, villagers have used nature to help them solve practical problems. Because it rains every day in Meghalaya, wood rots quickly making it difficult to built long-standing structures. As a result, the inhabitants have created “living bridges,” made up of the weaved together roots of rubber trees.

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So from floating villages to towns built inside craters, here are 50 unbelievable towns with stunning landscapes that have been shaped by nature.

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